Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin!!!

I'm all about pumpkin treats this fall season. That includes roasted pumpkin seeds for a freshly carved pumpkin, Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks, and these pumpkin cupcakes with salted caramel buttercream frosting. I think these cupcakes won the favorite flavor award at work the past two times I've brought them! They have that perfect touch of fall! I found the recipe off of Pinterest which links it to the blog, "Made in Melissa's Kitchen". Happy Baking!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin purée

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line cupcake pans and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

3. In another bowl combine the brown sugar, butter, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add dry ingredients and beat on low until smooth. Fold in pumpkin purée.

4. Fill each cupcake liner about halfway and bake for 20-25 minutes, rotate the pans once halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Ingredients for Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups powdered sugar
Because I use an icing tip to ice the cupcakes I like to double the frosting recipe. Please note that the measurements above are the original measurements not doubled.

Steps for Frosting
1. In a saucepan stir granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

2. In a medium bowl, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy. Reduce to low speed and add powdered sugar. Mix until well combined.

3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add caramel. Beat on medium speed until light and airy and completely mixed, about 2 minutes. You should be ready to frost your cupcakes! If the caramel was too warm when you added it your icing will be runny and you should refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

4. I used a round tip to ice these cupcakes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Lately, stuffed bell peppers have sounded great and I wanted to try making them so I set out on a new adventure, I think it was a success! I found a couple of different recipes to try but settled on this one, it was easy to make and a great meal! I found this recipe on Pinterest (seeing a theme?) but it originally came from Southern Bite.
Ingredients
4 medium-sized bell peppers
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
Small onion, diced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 15.25 oz. can Hunts Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Meatloaf (I couldn't find this so I substituted Hunts diced seasoned tomatoes)
1 cup instant rice
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

Directions
1) Cut off tops off peppers and remove seeds and insides of peppers. Blanch peppers in salted boiled water for 5 minutes, remove and drain.
2) Sauté onions in vegetable oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
3) In a large bowl, combine ground beef, sautéed onions and garlic, Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Meatloaf, white rice, salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Note: you do not need to brown the meat or cook the rice before combining with other ingredients, it cooks long enough in the oven.
4) Stuff mixtures to each pepper and place upright in a small greased baking dish. Pour small can of tomato sauce over the peppers.
5) Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve and enjoy!

Before cooking the peppers:


After cooking, ready to be served:


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

In the South we have four seasons...Spring, Summer, Football, and Winter

When preparing for a weekend in the South it revolves around what time the football game comes on! And to prepare for the perfect football weekend you need tailgating food! Add something extra to your football Saturdays with these football cupcakes! And who can say no to chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate? You're bound to score a touchdown when you bring these cupcakes to your next football tailgate! :) I originally got this recipe from The Baker Chick off Pinterest.

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners!
2) Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, mix until smooth (about 3 minutes). If you don't have buttermilk you can substitute 1 cup of milk and 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice, let stand for five minutes and then use as called for (I happened to not have buttermilk when I made these cupcakes)
3) Fill each muffin tin, each 2/3 full.
4) Bake about 20 minutes, rotating once half way through. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Frosting
Ingredients
8 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 cups confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
6 tbsp milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions
1) Have all ingredients at room temperature.
2) Original recipe calls for a double boiler but you can use the microwave to melt the chocolate. Stir until melted and let cool to room temperature.
3) In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, the 6 tbsp milk, vanilla, and salt and beat with an electric mixer on low until combined (about 1 minute). Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, then reduce to low.
4) Set aside 1/2 cup of the frosting to make for the laces.
5) Add the chocolate gradually and beat until combined, increase speed to medium and beat for a minute. If frosting is dry add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time until creamy but holds peaks.

Decorate the cooled cupcakes by using a star tip and zig-zag the chocolate frosting in a diamond shape. Using the reserved vanilla frosting and a small filler piping tip to add the laces.

Enjoy your football cupcakes with the game! Oh yeah and side note, ROLL TIDE!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I'm pretty sure I've posted this recipe before but you can never have too much carrot cake in your life! And no cupcake is ever the same to your last batch! With my carrot cake recipe I usually add pecans in the cream cheese frosting unless I'm making cupcakes and then I just sprinkle the pecans separately on top. I leave about half without the pecans in case someone doesn't like pecans!

Carrot Cake
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups finely grated carrots
Directions
Sift and mix dry ingredients.
Add oil and stir well.
Add eggs one at a time.
Add carrots and cinnamon.
Split into a lined cupcake pan.
Bake at 350 for 18 - 20 minutes. A trick that I've learned is to turn the pan around halfway through baking to evenly bake the cupcakes through. To check your cupcakes Stick a toothpick into one and see if it comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
Ingredients
(Remember this is the normal recipe so if you are heavily icing the cupcakes you should make 1 1/2 times this recipe)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 box (1lb) confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pecan chips, for garnish
Directions
Soften cream cheese and butter and mix together.
Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla and beat well.
Frost cupcakes (I used a star tip for these cupcakes),sprinkle with pecan chips for garnish and enjoy! I bought pecan chips but actually crushed them even finer in my hand before sprinkling them on the cupcakes. I know not everyone is a fan of pecans so as I mentioned earlier I opted to do a few with pecans and a few plain.


Happy Baking!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A summertime favorite! Brushetta pasta!

One of my favorite summertime dishes is Brushetta. Brushetta pasta, Brushetta toast appetizers, or Brushetta on Brie (an amazing spin on the traditional appetizer), you get the idea I will put the Brushetta tomato mixture on just about anything. It is a very light and refreshing dish for the summer, plus it is the perfect season for great tomatoes.

Ingredients for Brushetta
6 or 7 ripe Roma tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp equals 2 gloves
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps for preparing the Brushetta
1. Chop the tomatoes into fine pieces.
2. Mix the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar. Add the basil and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Prepare angel hair pasta according to the package.
4. Serve pasta with tomato mixture over it.

Variations if you chose to serve it on toast as an appetizer
You will need 1 baguette of French bread and 1/4 cup olive oil
1. Cut baguette into 1/2 inch slices.
2. Brush one side with olive oil.
3. Place bread olive oil side down on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 450 for 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and scoop the tomato mixture on each bread slice (on olive oil side)
5. Serve and enjoy!

One more thing before I go, I chose to serve Brie cheese for an appetizer with this meal. I wanted something more than just Brie and crackers so took to searching for what I had in my pantry and that would go well with the Brie. I settled on honey and not just any honey, Savannah Bee Company cheese honey. My sister always brings me different honey from Savannah Bee Co. when I see her which was perfect for this appetizer, thanks sis! Now you need to come to Birmingham and try the Brie and cheese!
This appetizer was extremely easy, I use half of a Brie cheese wheel. I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper and placed the Brie on the baking sheet and drizzled honey over the cheese and baked for about 7 minutes at 350. I sliced and served with crackers we got too excited to dig in I forgot to take a picture.

Brushetta pasta served with Texas Toast


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Red Velvet Cupcakes

If you've looked at other entries in my blog you know I love making cupcakes! And what better dessert to take into the office to share with everyone! Red velvet is one of my staples, it is easy to make and everyone seems to love it! What is your favorite cupcake recipe? Share it with me, I'm always looking to try something new! Happy Baking!

Ingredients for Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distiller white vinegar

Ingredients for the Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
5 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Steps for Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
3. Combine cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend.
4. With electric mixer, combine eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until well blended.
5. Mix in dry ingredients on low and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
6. Divide batter evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Steps for Icing
1. Combine cream cheese and butter with electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Gradually best in powdered sugar. Increase speed and beat until smooth.
2. I used a star tip to ice these cupcakes (if using a tip I would increase the frosting recipe to have plenty for all the cupcakes.)

Happy Baking!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks and cake

Are you looking for that perfect themed dessert for your Fourth of July cookout? While I know this post is a little too late for Fourth of July this year you can get a head start for next year or Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, or just a random Tuesday!
Amazing what you can find on Pinterest, a co-worker showed me a picture of this cake and I immediately went to Pinterest and found it in no time complete with the recipe! The end product of this recipe is when you cut into the cake it looks like the American flag! The original recipe comes from justapinch.com! I made a few changes to the original recipe, one being I used cream cheese frosting instead of buttercream because who doesn't love cream cheese frosting?! I also used a golden cake mix instead of a white cake mix but would consider making it red velvet next time. Some other things I will do differently next time I make this cake would be to alternate between red and white layers of cake instead of just using the frosting as the white layers, this was you can be assured the white stripes show! I did 7 layers of red cake and 6 layers of white icing! It may sound difficult but I promise you it really isn't! Ok, let's get to the recipe!

Ingredients for Cake
2 boxes white (golden) cake mix
1 1/2 bottles red food coloring
1/2 - 1 bottle blue food coloring
1 bottle white star sprinkles (Unfortunately did not include the stars this time but next time for sure!!)

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick of butter (softened)
1 pound powdered sugar
2 tsps vanilla

Steps for designing your Flag cake
1. Make one box cake mix according to directions, add 1 bottle red food coloring and separate into 2 10" round pans and bake according to the package.
2. Make the second box of cake mix according to the directions and reserve 3 cups of white mix, set aside. Color the remaining mix with the other 1/2 bottle of red food coloring. Color the reserved mix with the blue food coloring. If using the white star sprinkles gently fold them into the blue cake mix now.
3. In one 10" cake pan pour half of the red mix in. In the other pan place a 6" round cake pan in the center of the pan. In the 6" pan pour the blue mixture and on the outer pan pour the rest of the red cake mix. Note: If you do not have a smaller round pan do what I did, make your regular red and when you cut the final three layers(I will explain this in a minute) you will need to cut a hole in the center of each cake. I used a glass with a large diameter as my measurement. I also made the blue cake in a pan of its own and cut out from the center using the same glass as my measurement. Put the blue cake in the center of the red cake.
4. Once each cake has cooled you will divide it into half. You should have 4 whole red cakes before you begin dividing them. Do not divide the blue cake.
5. Alternate layers of red cake and cream cheese frosting If you end up using a white cake mix I would suggest doing a layer of red, frosting, a layer of white, frosting, repeat
6. Remember the final three red layers will have a hole in the center so you can place the blue inside. Once you have all the layers in place frost the complete cake.

Steps for Cream Cheese Frosting
I would suggest doubling the recipe to insure enough icing
1. Mix cream cheese and butter together.
2. Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla.

Your flag cake is complete! You could add some red and blue decorations to the top but I chose to keep it simple so when they cut into it everyone would be surprised. I took this cake to work the week of Fourth of July...it was killing me to wait for them to take the first piece and see the flag! Now for pictures! Happy Baking!

Cake Preparations


Final product! Happy Fourth of July!!


To show how amazing my mom is, she was visiting me the week of July 4th and surprised me with this for my breakfast that morning! Toast complete with blueberries, strawberries and bananas.


Vulcan celebrates the Fourth in style!!!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Well, that's just peachy!

Summer is the perfect time for Chilton County peaches! What better way to enjoy those peaches than by making peach cupcakes?! You know me, if I can make it into a cupcake the baking spree begins! At work these have been nominated by a few for the favorite cupcake flavor. On to the recipe, another fabulous Pinterest find!

Ingredients for the Cupcakes
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1.75 oz. (49 grams) freeze dried peaches, pulverized in a mini food processor. The original recipe suggested Archer Farms freeze dried peaches from Target but I used Sunmaid ones, probably more convenient to find! The package also helps you measure out how much is needed to make 49 grams.
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup puréed fresh peach Mix 1 peach pealed, pitted, & sliced and 1 tbsp water in a food processor
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350, line cupcake tins.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside until needed. Mix buttermilk, peach purée, and vanilla. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until pale (about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Mix in the pulverized peaches.
4. Mix in the flour mixture in 3 segments, alternating with two batches of the buttermilk mixture, ending with the flour mixture.
5. Scoop into cupcake tins and bake until golden, 21 - 24 minutes. Let cool in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Ingredients for Peach Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1.75 oz. (49 grams) freeze dried peaches
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-5 cups of confectioners sugar

Steps for frosting
1. Beat butter until softened.
2. Mix in cream cheese and beat together.
3. Add vanilla extract and mix together.
4. Add pulverized peaches and mix.
5. Add 3 cups of sugar to the mixture, add more if necessary until it is creamy and spreadable.
6. Frost cupcakes! I added a fresh peach slice to top off the cupcake. Enjoy!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A few of my favorite things around Birmingham lately!

I wanted to take this post to highlight some of my favorite new eateries in Birmingham! Lately, I have been trying to get out and find new local favorites! It is only fair that I share those with y'all! I'm currently obsessed with Saturdays at the Pepper Place Farmer's Market, enjoying unique Popsicles at Steel City Pops (which conveniently often have a cart at Pepper Place), and dining at The Pantry.
Pepper Place has a wide variety of local vendors that set up every Saturday from 7 a.m. - 12 p.m. mid April - mid December featuring the season's best produce! It is a wonderful chance to stock up on your produce for the week and enjoy live music! Along with the produce there is a section of the market that features arts and crafts! It is just a fantastic way to spend your Saturday morning!
Second local place I love Steel City Pops I first went here with some friends from work during lunch and I have been hooked on their Popsicles ever since. They offer fruity pops or if you want something that is a little more like ice cream, they have a creamy option. I haven't made a pop that I haven't liked! They change up their selection every day depending what is available. I have had coffee, sweet tea, and banana. I love them all! I look forward to trying the strawberry balsamic and avocado (I have tried a bite of the avocado and it was great! I wasn't quite sure what to expect!) Allyson, laughs at just how much I'm cheesing in this photo because I was that excited about Steel City Pops! I like to think it was a combination of worrying about dropping my phone, getting our pops in the photo, and my excitement about a pop on a hot day!



Third, there is a new organic restaurant in town called The Pantry. It is wonderful! Again, I originally went there with friends from work and have recommended it to everyone I know! The Pantry is a small family owned restaurant and everything comes from their farm, Stone Hollow Farmstead. Their goat cheese is some of the best I've had and the majority of their dishes include some goat cheese! They also have a raw bar that is served everyday and the only thing they serve on Monday along with their juice cleanses. I have currently been three times and I have gotten something different each time and everything has been wonderful I'm so glad I continue trying new dishes. The first time I went I got the marinated tomato sandwich(with avocado and goat cheese) with sweet potato chips, next I got the chicken tacos with avocado and sweet potato chips, and this most recent time I got a veggie plate with grits & greens, naan with goat cheese and a pear preserve, and fruit salad. It has all been delicious! I really want to go one day just for a shake made with goat's milk! I'll leave you with a picture of my veggie plate!


I hope you all try these out sometime this summer (just seems a good season to try something new)!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Eggplant Ricotta Bake

I have a new favorite summertime hobby, going to the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. Specifically Pepper Place Farmer's Market. I went last Saturday in search for eggplant! It was a successful trip and from that I made eggplant ricotta bake! This is an easy dish to make up for the week or to serve for dinner with friends. Enjoy! This is a recipe from marthastewart.com

Ingredients
2 large eggplants (1 to 1 1/4 pound each), sliced lengthwise 3/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese (1 2/3 cups)
3 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (2 teaspoons for dried)
1 jar (16 ounces) marinara sauce (2 cups)

Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Brush lightly on both sides with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until eggplant is tender and golden, 20-25 minutes. Turn slices over halfway through.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brush an 8 inch square baking dish with oil.
Step 3: Lay one fourth of the eggplant slices in the bottom of the dish; spread with half of the marinara sauce; top with another fourth of eggplant; spread with half of ricotta. Repeat layers ending with the ricotta; sprinkle the remaining Parmesan. Bake until bubbling and golden, 20-25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.



A glimpse of the lovely selection of veggies at Pepper Place!


Eggplant ricotta bake!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Strawberry Fields Forever

Strawberry Cupcakes are calling! I made these cupcakes a few weeks ago for a friend's birthday and they seemed to be a hit. This is a recipe from my mom's cookbook, usually made as a cake. Mom always made it in the shape of a heart from Valentine's Day when we were growing up! They are easy to make and can be made a day or two in advance. Usually when I make cupcakes I love to use my icing gun to make the presentation of the icing really pop but this icing doesn't stand up very well but it still helped to ice them quickly and make them deliciously covered with icing!!!!

Cake Ingredients
1 box white cake mix
1 cup oil
4 eggs
5 ounces frozen strawberries
3 ounces strawberry jello

Frosting Ingredients
1 pound confectionery sugar
1/4 pound soft butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 ounces frozen strawberries
3-4 tablespoons strawberry juice from frozen strawberries

Instructions for the Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350.
Step 1: Stir oil into cake mix.
Step 2: Lightly beat eggs and add to cake mix.
Step 3: Stir in 5 ounces of strawberries.
Step 4: Mix in jello.
Step 5: Pour into lined muffin pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
Step 6: Cool and frost with Strawberry frosting.

Instructions for Frosting
Step 1: Beat confectionery sugar and butter together.
Step 2: Add salt and vanilla and strawberry juice.
Step 3: add drained strawberries and mix well.
Step 4: Frost cooled cupcakes.

Keep Refrigerated



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Fish Tacos

With the first week of summer it calls for an updated blog post of Fish Tacos! These tacos are meant to be done on the grill but I did them in the oven and worked out great! I chose to set up all the toppings and let everyone fix their taco to their liking! This is a light meal that is great to serve during the summer. This recipe is originally from blogchef.net For dessert I served Key Lime cupcakes! Recipe from Bon Appetit! Enjoy and feel free to share your cooking adventures with me!

Grilled Fish Tacos
Ingredients
1 lb tilapia fillets
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Marinade
1 cup white onion
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 teaspoon oregano

Lime Sour Cream Sauce
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lime juice

Corn tortilla tacos

Toppings
1 cup onion (diced)
1/2 cup cilantro
2 avocados (peeled, pitted, and diced)
1/2 small head of cabbage (thinly sliced)
Salsa verde

Instructions
Step 1: Combine 1 cup onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, olive oil, 3 tablespoons lime juice, 3 tablespoons orange juice, garlic, and oregano. Mix well. Sprinkle fish fillets with salt and pepper on each side. Pour half the marinade on the bottom of a large casserole dish, lay the fillets over the marinade and pour the remaining marinade over the fish. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, after 30 minutes flip the fish over and cover and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
Step 2:Whisk together the sour cream and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Cover and set aside. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and put the fish in for 15 minutes until fully cooked. Alternate Option (technically the oven is the alternate option from the original recipe) heat the grill to medium-high heat and put the fillets on the grill for 3-5 minutes per side. Place corn tortillas onto the grill and grill for about 10 seconds per side.
Step 3: Chop cooked fillets. Let everyone fix their taco with their choice of toppings!






Key Lime Cupcakes
Ingredients
1cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/4 tablespoon neon-green food coloring
3/4 cup buttermilk

Frosting
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin pan with paper liners.
Step 2: Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs one at a time, then the next 3 ingredients. Don't worry if the batter looks a little curdled here it will smooth out. Beat in flour mixtures in 3 additions alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each liner.
Step 3: Bake cupcakes 20-25 minutes (until tester comes out clean). Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool.
Frosting
Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes. Again, if using an icing tool remember to increase the frosting amount by to 1 1/2 or 2x the recipe!



Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Cabbage Soup

This is a great low-cal recipe for anyone trying to eat healthier or jump start your diet with a tasty meal. Another great thing about this recipe is that you can make it for the week and be set to take your lunch to work for the week so not only are you feeling good about your meal but you are prepared to start the week. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 head of cabbage
1 package of dry onion soup (I used Lipton Recipe Secrets onion recipe soup &dip mix)
2 bell peppers
6 green onions
1 celery stalk
1 large can of Stewed tomatoes (original recipe)

Directions
1. Add all ingredients to the pot and cover with water.
2. Boil for 30 minutes.
3. Cover the pot and let it simmer until the vegetables are soft.
4. Enjoy your healthy meal!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Would you like your eggs scrambled, fried, or perhaps an omelet in a bag?

My mom is genius on all things involving entertaining large groups (she comes from a family of 6 children). Well, last week we were having about 20+ family members over for brunch and mom wanted to serve omelets but we also wanted everyone to be able to eat together which just isn't the case when you are trying to individualize 20 omelets to each person's desire UNLESS you make an omelet in a ziplock bag! It is a fantastic idea and works wonders! You need ziploc bags, toppings of your choice (but remember if you're serving it to a group of people have a variety of toppings so your guests can choose their favorites), eggs, boiling water! Ok, let me elaborate on that, I wish i had taken a few more pictures of the process but next time!
First, when fixing these omelets for a large group or really anyone other than yourself I would take the ziploc bags (sandwich size) and write names on each bag! This will help you keep everything organized.
Then, take one egg for each omelet and beat in with a fork in a bowl and pour into the bag and add any of your desired toppings. It doesn't matter if you dump the egg in the bag first or the ingredients, we tried it both ways and it works no matter the order.
Add all the bags to boiling water for 13 - 15 minutes and enjoy! You can put all the bags in one pot together.
If you are serving buffet style then I would suggest laying the bags out on a serving tray with the names showing so everyone can pick up their individual omelet and enjoy brunch together!

A few hints when prepping for a large group (again, wonderful ideas from my mom, I take in so much from watching her host and entertain our family and friends). These hints will help you not feel as rushed the day of your party.
Go ahead and beat all of the eggs separately in small Dixie cups and cover with Saran wrap and refrigerate. We put that cups in a mini muffin tin to make it easy to transport in and out of the fridge. That way each guest just picks up a cup and dumps it in the bag with their toppings.
Split all of your toppings into individual bowls and cover with Saran wrap and keep in the fridge until the morning of.
Then set up an omelet station with all your bags laid out, the eggs set out, and all the toppings. Each guest comes through and assembles their bag (be prepared people may decide after they see some omelets that this is the coolest idea and now they want to make one too so you may have a few rounds of omelets going on which is fine, at least this is what happened last week with my family!) Kids will love watching the process and getting their individual omelet out of a bag!
Also, double check the lock on the bag to ensure it is sealed completely!

Some of the toppings we included were cheese, mushrooms, ham, peppers, green onions, sausage, and salt and pepper to taste!

Here are a few photos I took, I wish I had some of our omelet station just so the separation of each component made more sense, but that will have to be included next time.


The omelette are cooking away!



The finished product! I am still amazed by this process! Good luck trying it.

And because this blog is about trial and error on any cooking adventure I would like to share my first successful scrambled egg experience! Yes, I haven't mastered scrambling an egg before now and I'm very ashamed by that but now I know and it is so easy to make, breakfast, lunch, dinner here I come! I have attempted before but never got them just right and they were awful to me! I love scrambled egg sandwiches so it is imperative I learn how to scramble an egg! Most kids in elementary school longed for the day their mom would bring them McDonalds or Wendy's for lunch but for me I always loved the days my mom would bring me a hot scrambled egg sandwich that she had just made! It was always so delicious and such a treat! Ok, enough rambling about the sandwich. In order to scramble your eggs, beat 2 eggs with a fork before dumping them in the pan and once it heats up for a little continue to beat while it is over the heat. You can always add a little cheese to the eggs for something extra. I was just excited so I had to share!



And being the nerd I am I took a picture before eating!

So how do you like your eggs best?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

My Cupcake Obsession

I have a new obsession...cupcakes...ok really I think it is more the process of icing the cupcakes than the actual cupcake itself that I'm obsessed with! This probably comes from the increased amount of Food Network's "Cupcake Wars" I've watched lately! My recipe board on Pinterest ("In the Kitchen") contains more cupcake ideas than anything else... So lately I come up with any excuse I can to bake cupcakes and share them with others. Red velvet, carrot cake, and next up hopefully lemon blueberry!

As I mentioned previously, I think I love the icing process more than enjoying the cupcake itself and that is saying a lot! I give the credit to my icing tool I bought a few months ago. I believe I've already touch on the beauty of the tool in a previous post so I will keep it simple here by saying I love it. So far I have only experimented with the star tip but look forward to using some of the other tips very soon! This tool makes it so quick to ice each cupcake, they look prettier than I could ever do freehand, and you probably get more icing on each cupcake which is always a good idea! I do advise you make 1 1/2 times the recipe so you have plenty to ice all of you cupcakes. For the most recent cupcakes I used my mom's carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting! Usually when I make the carrot cake with this frosting I mixed pecans into the cream cheese frosting but for the cupcakes I decided it would be better to leave the pecans out and sprinkle them on a few of the cupcakes instead.
Ok, before I post the recipes and pictures I thought I would post the icing tool I use because often when I talk about people seem to be very confused! I have the Nordic Ware icing decorating set and got it from Target.



Time for recipes and pictures...enjoy and be sure to comment if you try the recipe out.
Carrot Cake
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups finely grated carrots

Directions
Sift and mix dry ingredients.
Add oil and stir well.
Add eggs one at a time.
Add carrots and cinnamon.
Split into a lined cupcake pan.
Bake at 350 for 18 - 20 minutes. A trick that I've learned is to turn the pan around halfway through baking to evenly bake the cupcakes through. To check your cupcakes Stick a toothpick into one and see if it comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
Ingredients
(Remember this is the normal recipe so if you are heavily icing the cupcakes you should make 1 1/2 times this recipe)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 box (1lb) confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pecan chips, for garnish

Directions
Soften cream cheese and butter and mix together.
Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla and beat well.

Frost cupcakes, sprinkle with pecan chips for garnish and enjoy! I bought pecan chips but actually crushed them even finer in my hand before sprinkling them on the cupcakes. I know not everyone is a fan of pecans so I opted to do a few with pecans and a few plain.

Here was my final product! I took them into work for a fun Friday treat and then shared the rest with my family last weekend, I'm surprised they survived the drive without me eating all of them myself!


I love that this picture shows the height of the frosting after using the star tip.



With the help of my mom's hosting skills we added them to a cake stand and voila presentation points gained. Thanks mom!

Happy Baking and Happy Icing! You'll be so happy with how quick, easy, and pretty your future cupcakes are to ice!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Desserts is Stressed Spelled Backwards!

You can never have too many desserts! Ok, maybe at some point but for there can be a such a thing as too many desserts but for now we will pretend that isn't true! Recently, I signed up for Pinterest which has increased the amount of desserts I want to make exponentially. Actually, I have found a ton of new meals from Pinterest but so far have only made the desserts. This weekend I made two desserts, Red Velvet Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies. I've made several different Red Velvet recipes but I really liked this recipe. Also, I bought an icing kit back in December and used it for the first time when I iced the cupcakes, I absolutely love it! It made the icing go so much quicker and be more presentable!! Now I just want to make cupcakes every day just to use my decorating tool! Now on to the recipes! I got this recipe from a blog called "Annie's Eats".
Red Velvet Cupcakes Serves 24
Ingredients for the Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distiller white vinegar

Ingredients for Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
5 tbsp unsealed butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
3. Combine cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend.
4. With electric mixer, combine eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until well blended.
5. Mix in dry ingredients on low and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
6. Divide batter evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5-10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Frosting Steps
1. Combine cream cheese and butter with electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract. Gradually best in powdered sugar until incorporated. Increase speed and beat until smooth.
2. I used a star tip to ice these cupcakes (if using a tip I would increase the frosting recipe to have plenty for all the cupcakes.)







Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies Serves 36
I got this recipe from Christina who found it via Pinterest. I was looking to try something new and knew she was the perfect person to ask for dessert suggestions so she sent me a recipe she had been wanting to try! You can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter! I'm sorry I didn't get a better picture of one of the bars alone but hopefully this will give you and idea of what it looks like.
Ingredients
Brownie Base
1 box Betty Crocker Original Supreme Brownie Mix
Water, Vegetable Oil, Eggs (specific amounts called for on the box)
Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup of creamy Peanut Butter (May actually want a little more. I used 3/4 cups)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk
Topping
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter

Steps
1. Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom only of 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray or shortening.
2. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil, and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 28-30 mins (the box called for 23-25 but I actually went for 20 and tested it with a toothpick, had experience burning it the first go around). Cool completely, about an hour.
3. Beat filling ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.
4. Microwave topping ingredients 30-60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes spread over filling.
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.
6. Store covered in refrigerator and remove about 15 minutes before serving (allowing the top chocolate layer to soften a little).

Enjoy. It takes a while just to let the brownie cool completely but is actually a very easy recipe.







Until the next time in the kitchen! Let me know if you try any of the recipes and what you thought about them!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

French Toast with a little Twist

As we grow up and move further away from our friends it is important to make time to see everyone when you're all in the same area. Some of my high school girlfriends and I have an annual brunch the day after Christmas to catch up and make sure there is time to see everyone. Plus no one ever turns down food! This year brunch was simple I made Overnight Orange French Toast, Cheese Grits, and set out some eclairs to enjoy. The Overnight French Toast was a new recipe for me from Southern Living and I'd say it was an absolute hit!
Ingredients for the toast
8 slices of French bread (3/4inch thick)
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons orange juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Steps
1. Place bread in an ungreased 13x9 baking dish.
2. Combine eggs, milk, orange juice, vanilla, salt, beat well.
3. Pour mixture over bread, turn slices over to coat evenly.
4. Cover and chill overnight.

Ingredients for Orange Sauce
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
½ cup orange juice

Steps for Orange Sauce
1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan, stirring well.
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.

Cook the toast on top of the stove before serving and drizzle the orange sauce and powdered sugar over the finished toast. I also added a slice of orange to each piece but that is certainly optional. No syrup is needed for this French toast. It has a natural flavor and just a hint of orange in every bite! The photo is a bit blurry but you can still get the idea.




Another dish that is always good for large (or small) groups is Cheese Grits. Being Southern I love cheese grits! My mom's recipe is my all time favorite so I am happy to share it with you.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups grits, uncooked
6 cups water
3 beaten eggs
1 stick margarine
1 pound grated cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons salt
Dash of Tabasco

Steps
*Do not add salt to water when cooking grits.*
1. Bring water to a boil and add grits slowly and cook until done.
2. Add a little of the cooked grits to the beaten eggs. Adding a small amount at a time until eggs are heated. Then add the eggs to the pot of grits.
3. Stir in margarine and cheese until they melt.
4. Turn into a 9 x 13 baking dish, bake at 250 for 1 hour.

Enjoy!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

'Tis the Season

First, I'd like to apologize for not updating the blog in so long. I hope the recipes will make up for my tardiness.
Last year I had started an annual tradition of having some friends over after the Birmingham-Southern Christmas choral concert for Christmas desserts. So this year that time came around again and what better time to spend with friends than the holidays? This year I made Cranberry Bliss bars, Seven Layer Magic bars, Date Rolls, and Icebox Fruitcake.
A little bit about each of these desserts- Cranberry Bliss Bars every year starting in about November, Starbucks puts out their Cranberry Bliss Bars, a little piece of heaven if you ask me! So I was determined to find a recipe to duplicate the recipe, well luckily I was able to find a recipe. I made this last year and it was too cakey but it seemed to work a bit better this year. I was much more pleased with this go around, I was at least able to cut it into bars this year. Last year it was more a dollop of cranberry bliss crumble. Ha! I found this recipe off a blog titled, "Loving' from the Oven" but different variations are easy to google.
Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1–1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1–1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dried Cranberries, minced
1/4 cup plus 1/4–1/3 cup White Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Crystallized Ginger Slices, minced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1–1/2 cups powdered sugar

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
3. Add the flour, ginger, and salt into the batter. Beat well. Lightly stir in the 1/4 cup cranberries, 1/4 cup chocolate chips and minced ginger.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven.
5. Make the frosting by beating the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until you reach the desired consistency.
6. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake.
7. Cut the frosted cake as desired into bars or triangles. Sprinkle the remaining minced cranberries and chocolate chips on the top.






Seven Layer Magic Bars
This really is magic, plenty of ingredients and really makes it quite enjoyable. This recipe usually is on the inside of the Condensed milk label but here is one I found from allrecipes.com.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch-flavored chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for glass baking pan). In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan.
2. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.



Icebox Fruit Cake
Now this isn't your normal fruitcake that would make one turn up their nose and this one is a staple from at an Anchors Christmas gathering, this is my GranMary's recipe and I always remember her while making the cookies.
Ingredients
1 box graham crackers, crumbled into fine crumbs
1 can of condensed milk
1/2 cup white raisins
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Steps
1. Mix all ingredients up with your hands, will be sticky!
2. Roll in tubes about two inches in diameter.
3. Wrap in wax paper and store in refrigerator for up to a month.
4. Cut slices off as needed.
If you want to add other candies you can.



I don't have the recipe for the date rolls on hand but I will try to post that in the future. This was a dessert mom helped me make and she just knew the recipe off hand. They are so much better than they sound! Here is a little teaser for you...



Enjoy your Christmas desserts! But remember they can be served any time of year! Maybe that is why I posted this in February! Happy Baking!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad